Process and apparatus for welding plates



Dec. 11, 192s. 1,694,629 C. SCHAER l PROCESS -AND APPARATUS FOR WELDING PLATES Filed Fe'bSlG. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l l 5 l! im L 'gs .y

Dec. 1l, l92& 1,694,629

c. scHAER v PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR WELDING PLATES Filed Feb. 16, 1928r 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F' .Z A

l? Fzg. l g 7 7 l s 7 z l lf 9 A :n il 5 l g: V u u 7i I '"""f l h i0 v W L] Patented Dec. ll, 1928.

i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.CHARLES SCHAER, OFFLANGE-ITHA'L, SWITZERLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM SULZER FRERES, SOCIETE ANONYME, OF WINTERTHUR, SWITZERLAND.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR WELDING PLATES.

Application filed February 16, 1928, Serial No. 254,727, and in Switzerland February 28, 1927.

This invention relates to a process and apparatus for weldingplates, and hasI tor its object to provide an improved process in which the operation sin'ipliiied and the heat consumption reduced to a mininum.

According to the present invention the meeting edges of the plate are bevelled vand a rod-lilre bridge member is laid along` the joint above the sharp or nearest edges ot the plates which are then heated with the rod and subsequently welded together, during which process the edges of the plates are bent or turned over. The apparatus tor carrying the process into effect may comprise means whereby the bridge member is forced into the gap between the plates thus simultaneously bending over the bevelled edges ot' the plates7 this part of the process being preferably carried out by means of a pair of jaws so formed as gradually to change the bridge member from its initial shape to that whiclr it iinallv possesses.

The bridge member is preferably guided laterally by means of the upper jaw member and while it is being forced into the gap the supply of heat may be reduced to a minimum or moved so as to act upon the adjacent uuwelded portion of the joint to preheat it. It desired the bridge member-may tale the form of a rod of the'same length as the joint to be welded.

The invention may be carried out in various ways but one process and apparatus for welding plates according thereto is diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which j Figure l illustrates in cross section two plates to bc welded,

Figure 2 is an elevation projected from Figure l,

Figure 3 shows la section through the aws for forcing the bridge member into the oint, Figure 4, is a. section on the line l-l ot F igurc 3, Figure is a section on the line Il ll ol Figure 3,

Figure G is a section on the liuc lll-lll of Figure 3,

Figure 7 illustrates an apparatus for welding boiler plates,

Figure 8 is a section on the line IVM-FVv lfb the meeting edges oi: the plates l and 2 are bevelled at l2 and 13 and a rod-like bridge member B is laid along the joint on the side of the plates remote from the bevel (i. e. the upper side in Figure l), The bridge member 3 is in the form ot a bar l equal in length to the joint to be' welded. The bar 3 together with the bevelled ends l2 and 13 of the plates l and 2 are heated to the welding temperature by means oi burners l5 and lt, whereupon the bar 8 is forced into tliegap lei between the ends ot the plates by means of jaws 4l and As the bar is forced into the gap the bevelled ends l2 and 13 are simultaneously bent or turned over, while the portion ot the bar 3 immediately ollowing the part being welded is prevented from movinglaterallv owing to the shape of the upper jaw l which holds it in position.

The complete apparatus is illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 and comprises a traine carrying a cylinder 7 which serves to actuate the movable jaw 4l, the lower jaw 5 being formed on a rod mounted 'at its lower end on a block l() and also passing through a sleeve 8 carried at the end of a horizontal support 9. The cylinder 7 may be supplied with any desired pressure-creating medium,

such` for example as water, compressed air or steam.

Owing' to thc shape of the jaws l and the bar 3 is forced in between the plates and 2 step by step and in this, manner gradual change is ei'lected from the initial shape of the bar to that which it possesses after the welding operation.

Thilo the bar 3 is being forced into the gap between the plates l and Q the burners l5 and 1 6 are moved (by means not shown in the drawing) so as to act upon the adjacent unwelded portion ot the joint to preheat it.

Means are also provided for regulating the lnuners so that it desired the supply ot heat may be reduced lo a minimum during the pressing operation.

Then theh edges of the plates and the bar 3 have all been well pressed together position above the joint. The bridge inf her or bar 3 may rest directly on the p loo .lin

2 Lese.

l and 2 or may rest on a distance piece o (Figure 2) and it desired may be provided with a vrib 17 serving to guide itbetween the plates as shown in Figure 4C.

rlie relative movement between the Work and the ja may be ettected either by maintaining the jau's stationary and feeding the Work along or b v maintaining the Work statienarv and moving the jaws. rl`hc'bridge iiiembei may be in the torni ot a rod having a triangular, square, polygonal. round or any other desired cross section. llllien used to make circumferential Welds the rod is conveniently lirst bent to tlie correct radius before being put into place.

it Will be appreciated that the process and apparatus according to the invention renders it possible to use a single brity ge. member o? the appropriate length to eltect the 'complete Welding operation. Further, that the invention is more particularly iiitended tor use in Welding plates haring an appreciable thickness, i. e. plates other than those formed of sheet metal ot insutlicient thickness to torni a butt joint. The bridge member need not be separately laid because, as shown in Figs. 9 and lO, the same arrangement as with a separated bridge meniber results, it a part ot the plates to be Welded together is correspondingly formed and bent.

Vhile according to Fig. l the rolling direction of the bridge member may correspond to that ot the parts to be Welded, the rolling direction of the bridge member pressed into the joint is according to the modification shown in Figs. 9 and 10 ditterent from that of the plates l and 2.

l claim:

l. Process for Welding plates, which eonsists in bevelling the; meeting edges of t-he plates, laying a rod like bridge member along the joint above the sharp or nearest edges ot the plates, heating-the edges and the rod and then Welding them together by bending or turning over the edges ot the plates.

2. Process tor Welding plates, which consists in bevelling the meeting edges ot the plates, laying a rod like bridge member along the joint above the sharp oi' nearest edges of kthe plates, heating the edges and the iod and then Welding them together by bending or turning over the edges ot the plates, and forcing the bridge member into the gap between the plates.

3. `Process for Welding plates, which conin berellmg the meeting edges ot the plates. laying a rod like bridge member along the joint above the sharp or nearest edges ot the plates, heating the edges and the rod and then Welding them together by bending or turning over the edges ot the plates and forcing the bridge member into the gap between the plates by means oit two jaws so t'ornied as gradually to change the bridge member `irom its initial shape to that linally desired.

l. VProc s tor welding plates, which consists iii bevelling the meeting edges of the plat laying a. rod, like bridge member aloi the joint above the sharp or nearest edges ot the plates, heating the edges and the rod and then welding them together by bending or turning over the edges ot thc plates under a. heat gradually reduced to a minimum.

Process for Welding plates, which conin levelling the meeting edges ot the plates, laying a rod like bridge member along the joint above the sharp or nearest edges ol? the plates, heating the edges and the rod and then Welding them together by bending or turning over the edges of the plates and forcing the bridge member into the gap between the plates and simultaneously removing the parts to be Welded from the heating source.

'6. Process for Welding plates, which consists in bevelling the meeting edges of the plates, laying a rod like bridgemember along the joint above the sharp or nearest edges of the plates, heating the edges and the rod and then Welding them together by bending or turning over the edges of the plates and forcing the bridge member into the gap betweenthe plates by means of two jaws so formed as gradually to change the bridge member from its initial shape to that finally desired and to guide it laterally.

T. Process :t'or Welding plates, Which con- 'sists in bevelling the meeting edges of the plates, laying a. rod like bridge member of the same length as the joint to be Welded along the joint above, lthe sharp or nearestedges-ot the plates, heating the edges and the rod and then Welding them together bv vbending or turning over the edges oit the plates.

In testimony whereof I have altiXed my 

